Chatham News

CHATHAM – With shoaling creating difficulty in accessing the inlets in Chatham Harbor, the Coast Guard is looking for an alternative location for its rescue vessels that will provide greater flexibility.
The agency has suggested creating docking space at the town-owned Old Mill Boatyard on Stage Harbor for its two 42-foot lifeboats. Currently, two of the vessels are docked at the municipal fish pier in Aunt Ly...

CHATHAM -- A few hundred brave souls took a dip in Nantucket Sound Monday afternoon in the annual April Fools plunge at Harding's Beach. The air temperature was 45, the water temperature 41, and the sign mounted on a fire engine declared "Feels like: Cold!"
But that didn't seem to bother the folks who stripped down to their bathing suits and jumped in the water. Several swam out to where inflatable sharks ha...

Historical Commission Seeks National Register Eligibility Ruling
CHATHAM – The mood was somber last weekend as Monomoy Theatre officials and alumni helped clear out the buildings at the Main Street campus in advance of its pending sale.
“It's sad to the see the passing of the theater,” said actor Casey Predovic, who performed in “Guys and Dolls” at the theater last year. His parents, Dennis and Marcia, were...

70-Plus Article Town Meeting Warrant Now Closed
CHATHAM — The board of selectmen Monday voted to close and sign the warrant for the May 13 annual town meeting, capping a detailed review of more than 70 articles over several weeks. Board members voted to endorse a number of the initiatives, including a possible shark barrier at Oyster Pond Beach, funds to renovate the VFW post, and a measure to change the boa...

CHATHAM – After more than two years of stop work orders, zoning board hearings and court battles, resolution has finally been reached over the use of two properties on Chatham Bars Avenue owned by Chatham Bars Inn.
The zoning board recently tied up loose ends on permits for 45 and 20 Chatham Bars Ave., properties that the Shore Road inn had owned for years and bought back in 2015 from a previous owner of the i...

CHATHAM — In the latest effort to fix the sticky Mitchell River drawbridge, crews will begin major repairs on April 8 which could take nearly two months to complete. During that time, Bridge Street will be closed to through traffic.
On Monday, MassDOT officials notified the town that the bridge contractor, SPS New England, will be on site starting April 1, installing detour signs and informational message bo...

CHATHAM – For many local businesses, especially larger ones, the biggest problem these days isn't finding employees, it's finding housing for employees. Workforce housing – not means-tested affordable housing, but “attainable” housing for those with good jobs and salaries – is at the root of many of the issues local towns are struggling with, particularly attracting and retaining young people and families.
Bro...

CHATHAM — On Monday, a crowd of April Fools will make a splash at Harding’s Beach, renewing a rite of spring and raising money for a worthy cause.
Led by an intrepid pack of Chatham firefighters, the group will take a brisk swim at 4:30 p.m., and swimmers and spectators are encouraged to make donations. This year, the proceeds will benefit the family of Michele St. Aubin of Brewster, who is fighting advanced...

CHATHAM — In the latest effort to fix the sticky Mitchell River drawbridge, crews will begin major repairs on April 8 which could take nearly two months to complete. During that time, Bridge Street will be closed to through traffic.
On Monday, MassDOT officials notified the town that the bridge contractor, SPS New England, will be on site starting April 1, installing detour signs and informational message boar...

CHATHAM – The task force appointed by the board of selectmen to identify ways to build a more sustainable, vibrant and diverse community will hold two public forums next month to ask residents for their ideas on meeting that goal.
The Chatham 365 task force will host the forums on Saturday, April 6 from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. and Wednesday, April 10, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Both take place in the large meeting room at ...

CHATHAM — With fishing boats and Coast Guard surfboats now frequently bottled up in Chatham Harbor because of severe shoaling – and with peak commercial fishing season less than three months away – mariners are demanding answers. Town officials have very few.
“June is coming very close for us,” commercial fisherman and Aunt Lydia’s Cove Committee Chairman Doug Feeney told selectmen Monday. “We’re in need rig...

CHATHAM — More than an open space purchase, the proposed acquisition of more than four acres of undeveloped land on the shore of Goose Pond is being described as a chance to freeze in time one of the town’s last unspoiled freshwater shorelines.
With support from the Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts, the town’s Land Bank open space committee is recommending that town spend $1,275,000 to buy three adjoi...